Paper feeding mechanism for printing machines



July 10, 1934.

P. M. 'COLQUHCUN PAPER FEEDING- MECHANISM FOR PRINTING luIcHINEs Filed May 30, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 log July 10, 1934- P. M. COLQUH OUN PAPER FEEDING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed May 50, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 gwwnto a {awn/ U I dugwmqo P. M. COLQUHOUN PAPER FEEDING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINES July 10, 1934.

5 .Sh eets-Sheet 3 Filed May 30, 1930 I Fae/5 wi l WVWVWVVVV V M W July 10, 1934. P. M. C OLQUHOUN 1,965,573

PAPER FEEDING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed May 30, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 gwuentoo @a 5 WM July 10, 1934. P. M. COL-.QUHOUN I PAPER FEEDING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed May 30, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Y F a F Patented July 10,1934

PATENT OFFICE PAPER, FEEDING MECHANISM FOR PRINT- ING MACHINES Peter Colquhoun, Lakewood, Ohio, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Multigraph Company a corporation of Delaware Application May 30, 1930, Serial No. 457,653

9 Claims.

This invention relates to means for feeding a paper strip or web in connection with a printing mechanism, the object being to enable a very accurate feed of the paper. My paper feeding mechanism is well adapted for use as a lister or fill-in device on machines employing individual printing members successively presented to printing position so that with each impression a proper imprint is made in accurately spaced relation-in successive position on the strip.

Accuracy of the feeding a definite amount of the paper for each imprint enables printing to be eiiected successively in'proper registration with either a prior or a subsequent operation on the paper. For instance, where the successive imprints are intended to fill in forms previously printed; or where the paper strip is partially periorated for subsequent separation into tags and it is necessary that the imprint come between successive perforations, or where the paper is to be cut up into labels after the printing,--in these and various other instances it is essential that the feeding be accurate and that there be no accumulating error. My invention includes a precisioning device which positively insures a definite length of strip being fed at each operation.

An illustration of a machine printing from individual printing members to which my invention is applicable, is an addressing machine wherein the difierent addresses are carried on individual plates which are periodically presented into position to coact with a suitable platen. My mechanism operates in conjunction with the platen operation, so that as the platen carrying arm moves to idle position, the strip is fed to present a fresh face for the next plate.

In addition to the feature of definiteness and accuracy of operation my invention contemplates a simple and compact mechanism adapted for attachment to hand addressing machines. This and other features of the invention will be apparent from the detailed description of the embodiment in the drawings. I

Fig. 1 is aplan of a hand addressing machine in which my paper feeding mechanism is embodied; Fig. 2is a longitudinal vertical section through such addressing machine substantially on the plane indicated by the line 22 of Fig;

1; Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section of such addressing machine as indicated by the line 3-3 on Fig; 1; Fig. 4 is a detail of a release for the plate feed, being a vertical section at right angles I to Fig. 3 as indicated by the line 4-4 on Fig. 3;

Fig 5 is an end elevation of an addressing machine throulhthelefthandotFig.lpartlybroken away; Fig. 6 is a vertical section through the paper feed mechanism itself as indicated by the offset line 6-6 on Figs. 5, 11 and 12; Fig. '7 is a vertical sectionthrough the paper feed mechanism on the plane indicated by the line 7-7 on Fig. 5; Fig. 8 is a detail of a ratchet mechanism for driving the feed rolls, being a vertical section on the line 88 on Fig. 6; Fig. 9 is a vertical section on a plane indicated by the lines 9-9 on Figs. 6 and 1, illustrating the connection between the paper feed mechanism and the addressing machine; Fig. 10 is a cross section through the feed rolls on a reduced scale from Fig. 6; Fig. 11 is an enlarged vertical section illustrating a portion of the driving mechanism' for the paper feed, the plane of the section being indicated by the line 11-11 on Figs. 1, 6 and '7; Figs. 12 to inclusive are vertical sections illustrating different positions of a precisioning device for the feeding mechanism, the location of the section's being indicated by the line 12-12 on Figs. 1 and 6--Figs. 14 and 15 omitting a number of parts.

I will first describe the addressing machine in which I have embodied my paper feeding mechanism. The frame of this machine comprises a horizontal table or plate portion 10 having a suitable supporting skirt at its edges. Extending transversely of this bed is a depressed channel 12 in which is mounted a reciprocatory feed slide comprising a pair of bars suitably connected together and having pawls 21, 22 pressed upwardly from the upper edge of the bars and adapted to engage the plates. The address plates, indicated at A, are stored, one on top of another, in a suitable magazine 25. The lowermost plate is shoved toward the left of Figs. 1 and 2 by the movement of the slide in that direction so that the plate first comes into the intermediate position indicated by the plate A1 in Fig. 2 and finally into the printing position indicated by the plate A2 in that figure.

The mechanism shown for feeding the plates comprises an arm pivoted on a rod 31 mounted in ears 15 rising from the bed 10. This arm extends rearwardly and downwardly from the pivot as shown at 33 and is then connected by a univer- A, A1 and A2 toward the left a distance of one plate to bring a fresh plate to printing position. The downward movement of the arm 30 operates to carry the feed slide idly to its extreme right hand position.

Associated with the feed arm 30, is an arm 40 pivoted on the rod 31 and carrying near its free end a platen 41, which'is in position to engage a plate on an anvil 23 onthe downstroke of the arm. The forward ends of the arms 30 and 40 stand closely adjacent each other. The arm 30 carries an operating handle 50 mounted on a rod 51 slidable in the arm 30 and adapted to engage a socket in the arm 40. Normally this rod 51 is in engagement with this socket and the two arms operate in unison. When so operated, the downstroke of the handle 50 brings the platen into engagement with the plate A2 on the anvil 23 and prints on paper interposed between them. This same movement by means of the linkage heretofore described normally moves the feed slide to its extreme right hand position, then on the upstroke of the two arms the linkage feeds a fresh plate into the printing position.

To feed a plate without operating the impression arm, it is only necessary for the operator to pull the handle toward the right to throw the rod 51 out of the socket of the impression arm and he can then operate the feed arm independently, to feed as may plates as desired idly beyond the printing position. This enables him to select any plate desired for printing.

To furnish ink for the impression, I employ an inking ribbon '70 lying over the anvil and supported so that the plate will come beneath it. the ends of this ribbon being mounted on spools 71 which have ratchet wheels 73 and '74. One or the other of these wheels are operated by pawls 75 carried by a reciprocating bar 76 connected by a rock arm '77 and a linkage 78 to the platen arm, the arrangement being such that on the upstroke of the platen arm one or the other ratchet is engaged and a short feed is given to the ribbon. The two pawls are mounted on a carrier, intermediately pivoted on the bar 76, and when either spool becomes empty the pawl which has been engaging the opposite spool can no longer rotate it, due to the restraint of the ribbon and this drag on the pawl causes the swinging of the immediate carrier for the pawl so that the other pawl engages the other ratchet and subsequent action is on that spool. This makes an automatic reverse of the ribbon.

The addressing machine substantially as above described is shown described and claimed in pending application No. 225,634 filed Oct. 12, 1927, by Clifton Chisholm and assignedto my assignee The American Multigraph Company, and reference is made to that application for a fullerdescription of the addressing machine itself. The addressing machine in that application has certain mechanism for disconnecting the linkage between the feed arm and the feed slide to enable repeated imprints of the same plate. I have shown herein a somewhat simpler mechanism for accomplishing this result. It will be seen by reference to Figs. 3 and 4 that I have secured the driving rock arm 35 to a vertical rod 60 slideably mounted in a bearing lug 1'7 depending from the frame plate 10, which also carries a spring 61, which acts to press the rod downwardly. The lower end of the rod rests on a cam 63 mounted on a rock shaft 64 extending to the forward end of the machine bed and there provided with an operating handle 65. I have secured the driven rock arm 36 by means of a bushing 67 mounted in the lug 17. The adjacent faces of the arms 35 and 36 are provided with a dog clutch which may be a notched hut 68 on the arm 36 and a rectangular boss 69 in the arm 35. When the parts are in the abnormal position shown in 'Figs. 3 and 4, there is no engagement between the arms 35 and 36. To cause engagement, however, it is only necessary to turn the lever 65 i into its diametrically opposite position, reversing the position of the cam 63 which then shoves the rod 60 upwardly bringing the arm 35 to locked engagement withthe arm 36, so that these arms 35 and 36 will then operate in unison as an intermediately pivoted lever.

By the mechanism described it will be seen that I can stop the feed of any plate and allow the arm to continue to be operated for the purpose of operating the printing arm 40. Accordingly; I can take any number of desired impressions from the same plate. Accordingly, by proper operation of the operating handle 50 and the feed control handle 65 I may feed without' printing to select plates or I may print without feeding to duplicate, triplicate or make any number of impressions, or I may carry out the normal operation of feeding and printing on every stroke.

While my paper feeding mechanism is not limited to the embodiment with any particular device, it has been designed with special reference to such an addressing machine as above described and is particularly well adapted for mounting thereon. To that end I provide at'the front of the addressing machine a suitable frame 100 adapted to support a supply roll for a web of paper and on the rear wall of the addressing machine frame a frame 110 carrying mechanism, operated by the platen arm' 40, for feeding the web rearwardly onto a suitable take-up roll. The web asshown at B thus extends from front to rear of the addressing machine, passing over the anvil andinking ribbon and beneath the platen so that successive imprints may be made on the web.

The supply roll may be of any convenient form I have indicated a spool 101 mounted on a shaft 102 carried by the frame 100. Suitable adjustable collars 103 position the spool respective of its length and one or both of these collars is provided with a proper friction face to maintain a suitable frictional drag against the overwinding of the spool to keep the web taut.

The main portion of my web feeding mechanism is carried at the rear of the machine by the frame 110. In this frame is mounted a sec tional shaft 112 which constitutes a main shaft of the paper feed mechanism. Drivingly carried by this shaft is a roller 120 of a. length as great as the web B and adapted to coact with its underface. This roller is preferably of a hollow steel construction and its outer surface is longitudinally straight mill knurled to increase the frictional drag of the roll on the web and insure against relative slipping between the web and theroll. Directly above the roller 120 is a re-'- silient roll 125, centrally located relative to the 'roller 120, on a shaft 113 directly above the shaft 112. The shaft .113 has a possible up and down movement to compensate for different thicknesses of paper and to maintain a proper grip on the paper by the rolls. To this end I mount the shaft 113 in a pair of arms 130 pivoted on a rod 131 carried in suitable plates 11B and 119 constituting in effect partsof the frame 110. Suitable springs 134 (Fig. 5) tends to pull the roll 125 downwardly against the roll 120. A limit is provided by means of extensions 132 of the arms back of the supporting rod and beneath a rod 134 which may carry adjusting screws 135 to engage the arm extensions. By turning in these screws, a limit is provided for the downward movement of the'rolls 125 and thus they maybe accurately positioned with reference to the paper to be fed. The feeding of thepaper is accomplished by giving periodic rotations to the shaft 112. To effect this, I provide rigidly on this shaft 2. disk 140 (Figs. 6 and 8) carrying Dawls 141 which engage a ratchet-wheel 142, which moves on the shaft. This ratchet wheel is integral with a spur gear 145 (Figs. 6 and 11) which meshes with a following its imprint, due to the action of the spring 45, the movement of a ratchet 142 is in such direction that it drives the pawl plate 140 and thus rotates the shaft 112 and this results in a rotation of the rolls 120 and 125 in the feeding direction.

It is important that the strip be accurately fed a definite amount for each printing operation, in order that the imprints may follow each other closely without space between them'and without danger of encroaching on each other. To enable this accurate feed, I provide a suitable lock for the feeding rollers. This lock comprises a disk 160 rigid on the shaft 112 and provided with notches 161 (preferably two diametrically opposite each other) adapted to be engaged by a lockturned. When the end of the bolt engages the periphery of the disk, it forms a brake thereon as shown in Fig. 14 and when its inclined wall is engaged for sliding on the inclined face of the notch, it furnishes means as shown in Fig. 5, for

turning the disk and shifting it and the feed rolls into their final positions. This bolt is slidably mounted in a housing 175 and is pressed to-- ward the disk by a compression spring 1'76 occupying a socket in the bolt.

To actuate the bolt 170 as desired, 1 provide a lever 180 pivoted intermediately on the frame plate 178. This lever has one arm extending through an opening in the housing 175 into engagement with a notch 174 in the bolt 170. The other arm of the lever extends into position to be engaged by a roller 190 on a rock arm 191 rigidly secured on the rock shaft 150 which carries the segment 148.

The normal position of the parts is that shown in Fig. 12, where the platen arm is in its uppermost position, the segment 148 isin its lowermost position and the locking bolt 170 is in engagewardly rotating idly the ratchet wheel 142. This same movement causes the roller 190 to act on the arm 184 and rock the lever 180 so that the arm 182 draws down the bolt 170 to idle position, as shown in Fig. 13. This leaves the shaft 112 and the feed rolls free for rotation. Now, as the platen arm rises under the influence of its spring, the segment 148 swinging downwardly and rotates the ratchet 142 in the active direction and operates the feed rolls to feed the paper.

At the same time, the relief of the roller 190 from the arm 184 enables the spring 176 to shove upwardly on the bolt so that the nose of the latter comes against the periphery of the disk 160 as shown in Fig. 14 and forms a brake therefor, preventing this disk from moving due to momentum of the parts. When the platen has reached the upper end of its stroke, it will have rotated the shaft 112 far enough so that one of the notches 161 is opposite the nose of the bolt 170, then as the platen arm stops, this noseis free to enter the notch and irrespective of the exact position of the disk at the time of such stop of the drive, the spring 1'76 acting on the bolt pushes the bevelled nose into the notch and turns the disk 160 a slight distance further,- so that the shaft comes to rest at an absolutely fixed point. The movement of the platen arm is such that it never brings a notch into exact registration with the bolt, but always stops before such registration is possible. The stopping of the platen arm in the upward movement may leave the disk 160 in slightly different positions, but there will always be a notch 161 somewhere opposite the notch 1'71 and the action of the spring on the, bolt thereupon takes place-as described, to advance the shaft into the definite position desired. I find it convenient to cause the disk to have a substantially half rotation for each stroke of the arm; In that case, I have two notches as shown in the drawings.

As described, the feeding mechanism advances the paper a definite amount for each printing operation, and as the size of tags, labels and the like vary, it is desirable to adapt the machine so that this amount also may be varied, for example, it may be desirable to print on one web at two-inch intervals, while the next web may require printing at three-inch intervals. To this end the feed roll 120 is mounted so that it may readily be replaced with a roll of larger or smaller diameter. as desired. It follows, therefore, that because the roll is rotated through a definite angle of revolution for each feeding operation, the amount or length of strip fed is dependent upon the circumference of the roll and increasing the circumference will feed a greater length of paper, while decreasing the circumference will cause the mechanism to feed a lesser amount.

The shaft 112 is divided into two sections. 112a and-112b, the section 112a carrying the driving mechanism and the section 1121: supporting the roll. As shown in Fig. 6, a collar 115 is pinned to the shaft section 112a, the shaft extending a short distance beyond the end of.

the collar into the end of the roller 120. The shaft 112!) extends through the roller and is retained in position in a bushing 116 carried by the frame 110 by a spring 117 acting on a rec'essed portion 118 of the shaft through a slot 119 in the bushing. The roller has a clutch face 120:: at one end which is maintained in contact with a clutch face ofthe collar 115 by an enlarged portion of the shaft 11211. When it is desired to change the roller 120, the spring 117 is removed, releasing the shaft 112b, the shaft is withdrawn and the roller moved endwise, separating it from its driving collar. 115 and then removed from the frame and a different roll substituted.

In the drawings, 1 have shownthe notched desk andboth in a construction wherein the action of the bolt on the disc always imparts an advancing feed to the web B.- However. the construction may be such that the bolt may act on the disc to cause either a retraction or .advancement of the web B, depending upon position of the parts when the platen-arm comes to rest. In the latter case, the roll 103 which carries the supply of paper is acted on by a suitable spring to cause the rewinding of theroll thereby keeping the paper taut when the feed rolls retract. due to the bolt and disc action. However, this may be accomplishedby a weighted rod 250 (Fig. 1). which is placed on the web intermediate the supplyroll and the frame 10 of the addressing machine, and which would be insufiicient to entirely overcome the frictional drag on the supply roll, but at the same time cause the web to be kept taut on the machine.

It is desirable to provide a takeup-spool to receive the printing strip and means for driving the same to wind up this strip in a continuous roll. In my mechanism I have provided such spool and winding mechanism operating in con junction with the feed already described. This take up mechanism is best shown in Figs. 1, 5, 7 and 10. As shown in these figures, 200--indicates a suitable spool to receive the web. This spool may be tightly mounted on shaft 202, journalled in a bushing 203 carried bythe frame plate 119. Loosely carried by the bushing 203 is- I the gear 205 and the shaft. The method shown for connecting the disk 210 slidably and nonrotatably on the shaft 202 comprises pins 212,

on the hub of the disk 210,'a cup 214 coaxial with the shaft having notches engaging the pin, a pin 215 passing through the cylindrical wall of the cup and secured to the shaft, and a compression spring 216 houses within the cup and --bearing-at one end against the pin and at the thetake-up roll through a-slip connection, the

' slippage increasing as the roll fills up.

' It wi1l\be seen from the drawings and description above given, that my web feeding mecha-' nismis compact, flexible and mounted in a suit.- able frame mechanism readily attached-if desired, to a hand addressing machine. A simple linkage enables the connection of the platen-arm of the addressing machine with the feed mechanism so that the operationis entirely automatic.

amount and the second of which, acts on the first automatically. to augment the first feeding to complete the difl'erence between such first feeding and said definite amount.

2. In a paper feeding mechanism, the combination of an impression arm, mechanism for operating the arm to effect successive imprints on a strip of paper, means for feeding the strip consequent upon the operation of the arm, an amount necessarily less than a given standard, and means acting on the same feeding mechanism for automatically augmenting the feed by an amount equal to the" shortage of the first feed to insure accuracy of the amount of paper ulti'-- mately fed.

3. In a-feeding mechanism, the combination of means to feed the strip an amount less than the ultimate amount required for one cycle of operation, which difference is always greater than the distance which the feed can over-run due to momentum, and independent means for there after acting on the feeding mechanism to givev it a further advance of a variable amount equal to the shortage of the first feed.

4. In a paper feeding mechanism, the combination with means 'for making successive impressions on a strip of paper, a pair of vcoacting feeding rolls for gripping the strip and feeding it, manual mechanism for operating one of the feed rolls to advance the strip an amount necessarily less than a given standard, and .means for periodically giving one of the feeding rolls an automatic movement beyond that given it by the feeding operation to render the feed accurate.

5. In a feeding mechanism, the combination of means for making successive impressions, means for periodically feeding the-matreial impressed by an amount compelled to be different from a given standard, means for automatically adjusting the successive feeding operations to cause the feed to be the same for each region, mechanism for positively locking the feeding means in its adiusted position, and means for withdrawing the locking mechanism.

6. In a paper'feed mechanism, the combination of a platen, an arm carrying the platen and adapted to coact with a plate in printing position,

paper feed mechanism mounted on the framed the machine, ratchet means operated by the platen arm for operating the paper feed mechanism into a positicn compelled to be short of final position, and automatic means for completing the operation of the feed mechanism and positively -lockfng'the same in its final position.

7. In a feeding mechanism, the combination, with means for making successive impressions, of mechanism for periodically and positively feeding the material an amount compelled to be different from a definite standard, andmeans acting on the feeding mechanism during the feeding to constitute a brake and actingsubsequent to said feeding action to-move the same a variable amount adaptedto compensate for the vario ing a primary rotation to the feed roll less than the amount to enable the nose to completely register with the notch, means forseating the nose in the notch, and means for thereafter withdrawing the bolt.

9. In a feeding mechanism, the combination of a pair of rolls adapted to coact with material between them, mechanism for rotating one of the rolls,a brake wheel included in said mechanism compelled to make less than a definite portion of a rotation for eachactuation of the feeding mechanism, a pawl spring-pressed against said brake wheel acting as a brake during said primary portion of therotation, said pawl having a bevelled nose adapted to coact with a bevelled seat on the wheel, said primary feeding bringing such bevels into the beginning oi their coaction, means for causing the pawl to enter the seat to further advance the feed, the bevels of the pawl and seat being steep enough so that the pawl acts as a positive lock for the positioned brake wheel, and mechanism additional to the brake wheel for thereafter withdrawing the pawl from the notch.

PE'I'ER M. COLQUHOUN. 

